Travel Advisory: US Passport Fees Going Up

US Passport fees increase substantially on July 13, 2010If you have been planning to get a U.S. Passport, or renew one, act fast. U.S. Passport fees increase dramatically on July 13, 2010. The cost of a new passport jumps from $100 to $135. Renewing your existing passport will rocket from $75 to $110, a 47 percent increase. Charges for a minor to age 16 increase from $85 to $105. Even the cost of a Passport Card, for land crossings into Canada and Mexico is going up from $45 to $55. These represent the third increase in the last five years.

And the feds are adding an entirely new passport fee, too. If you are a frequent traveler who needs to add additional pages to an existing passport, that will cost $82 after July 13, 2010. Right now it is free.

So, if you think you’ll need a passport in the next few years, if your existing passport is expiring in the new couple of years, or if you think you’ll run out of pages soon, the apply, renew or expand now, before the price goes up on July 13,2010. You can apply at many US Postal Service branches, by mail, or in person at a passport office.

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ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer. Contact me at [email protected]

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